On April 28, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began premium processing for H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year 2015 cap, including H-1B petitions seeking an exemption from the cap for individuals who have earned a U.S. master's degree or higher. The annual cap is 65,000 H-1B visas, with an exemption for the first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of those with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.